.png){kind=link}
 - Vertical.png){kind=link}
.png){kind=link}
 - Vertical.png){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
.png){kind=link}
Abstractions
What is an abstract concept? What does it mean to think abstractly?
A system at a specific level of complexity is always at a level of abstraction.
If such a system cannot have some deeper meaning to it, it will be universally at the ground level.
Any method of thinking that automates a specific system is called an abstraction.
Before I proceed with abstractions, I must note that our society tends to view higher level things as having more value and lower level things as having lesser value.
There are several reasons for believing this. One is that they attribute more importance to the dreamy aspects, such as chasing the clouds, or a heaven beyond the ordinary life, and hate the ordinary life as dull or as a test. The existence of religions further reinforce this belief on grounds of morality.
Secondly, whatever is mundane is seen as boring, and that is the lifestyle of lazy people who are of no good to society, except consuming the resources of it. Meanwhile, abstract things such as technologies or a luxurious lifestyle is seen as something that is obtained by hard work, and thus is more superior.
Examples
Example 1: Electronic and Electric Circuits
- Consider objects like a resistor, transistor, capacitor, wires, etc. to be at the base level.
- Of course, it will have deeper implementation details, but for a layman, these are the basic components. Let's just stick with it.
- A circuit board created with that would be a higher level product. That is, if you get a circuit board, it is composed of a lower level of implementation, using its internal components.
-
Now, if the circuit is electronic, it could sometimes be driven by a firmware software. Since the behavior of the system is dependent on the firmware, the firmware can be said to be at a higher level of abstraction.